Sweet taste of success for rising star Williams

Life has just got sweeter for chocolate-loving Lucy Williams after the 24-year-old secured her card for the 2014 Ladies European Tour.

Williams, winner of the Glenmuir Women’s PGA Professional Championship in June, booked her place on Europe’s elite women’s tour after coming through five testing rounds at qualifying school at Samanah Golf Club in Marrakech, Morocco.

The Mid-Herts Golf Club player, who has spent the majority of the year playing on the LET Access Series, claimed a category 8a card after finishing in a share of 27th spot in North Africa.

This will secure Williams a significant number of starts on the Tour, which tees off in New Zealand at the end of January.

Williams, a graduate of the Applied Golf Management Studies degree co-ordinated by the PGA and the University of Birmingham, tweeted: “I DID IT!! Full Ladies European Tour card for 2014 gained!! #happiestpersonever”

She added: “Waking up from a dream and realising its real is one very good feeling!! #happydays”.

Williams’ path to the top was expertly predicted by three-time Glenmuir WPGA champion Tracey Loveys, after the two were paired together in the final round at Slaley Hall in the summer.

“She has a short game to die for,” said Loveys.

“She doesn’t hit it long, which is why she probably has such a good short game. I was suitably impressed.

“I heard she was on the Access Tour, so she’ll probably go on to q-school later in the year and then get full playing rights and go from there.”

However, there was disappointment for Scotland’s Heather MacRae as she narrowly finished outside the top 30.

It was a bitter blow for MacRae, who in November finished sixth on the LETAS Order of Merit – one place and 55 points shy of securing her card.